We’re Still Here - About
We’re Still Here began in 2022 as a heritage pilot commissioned and produced by Abingdon Studios, with support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Conceived and delivered by artists Garth Gratrix and Harry Clayton-Wright, the project set out to establish Blackpool’s first permanent collection of LGBTQIA+ arts and heritage. Alongside collecting oral histories, the team invited Stuart Linden Rhodes (Linden Archives) to stage his first public exhibition at Grundy Art Gallery (Feb–June 2022), attracting over 10,000 visitors.
The next phase will see two major exhibitions in 2027, in partnership with Grundy Art Gallery and Showtown; coinciding with key anniversaries in UK LGBTQIA+ history including 60 years since the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality in the UK; and 40 years since the introduction of Section 28 following the notorious Margaret Thatcher speech in 1987 at a Conservative Party Conference in Blackpool.
Building on the pilot, the project continues to develop a community-built queer heritage collection shaped by local residents past and present. Working with Community Champions and a Community Archivist, the team is mapping Blackpool’s rich LGBTQIA+ history, culminating in concurrent exhibitions at Showtown and Grundy Art Gallery in 2027.
Aunty Social - About our History Club host
Aunty Social is a community arts organisation that gives people opportunities to develop their creativity, learn new skills and connect with others through positive arty activities.
We coordinate a diverse programme of arts and cultural activities designed to bring people together in a safe, supportive, gentle space.
Catherine Mugonyi - About
Catherine is one of the founding directors of Aunty Social, a voluntary arts organisation that provides accessible, participatory arts activities on Lancashire’s Fylde Coast.
A long-time resident of Blackpool, Catherine specialises in organising and coproducing events and projects that strengthen engagement between marginalised communities, local history and the arts. Catherine looks after Aunty’s finances, governance strategy and creative programme, including Blackpool Film Festival.
For her ‘day job’, Catherine is a freelancer who loves to work on projects that connect local residents, artists and academics to explore ways that people can develop their creativity while exploring and celebrating culture. Catherine is a Clore Leadership (Arts Council Transform) Fellow and is particularly interested in cultural strategy, community organising, liberation practice and building systems that underpin more equitable alternative futures.
Catherine has previously been a Trustee of Creative Lives and spent ten years working in local government on equality, partnerships, service access and community engagement. Formerly, Catherine was the Creative Programmer at the Harris, a museum, library and art gallery in Preston, planning activities that encouraged people to explore their creativity as well as the Harris’ extensive collections.
In her free time, Catherine loves restoring her collection of analogue projectors sourced from second hand shops, skips and the local tip. She also loves to visit historic sites (especially stone circles), exploring folk traditions and dabbles in the textile arts, particularly heritage crafts.
Abingdon Studios - About
Abingdon Studios (ABS) is a flagship contemporary visual arts studio and producing organisation based in the heart of Blackpool. Simply put, we believe in Artists Being Supported. Providing permanent artist studios and a public project space for testing and exhibiting new work, ABS develops and delivers ambitious independent and co-commissioned projects in partnership with galleries, museums, consortium networks and partners. We are proud to have supported 150+ artists to date.
Over 60% of our programme has prioritised LGBTQIA+ artists, creativity and development opportunities. Our projects include We’re Still Here!, a National Lottery Heritage Fund–supported initiative establishing Blackpool’s first permanent LGBTQIA+ arts and heritage archive; Work/Leisure, our artist residency and development programme; and tailored sector development support and bursaries enabling artists to present work locally, regionally and nationally. ABS champions high-quality, cross-artform contemporary practice, creating the conditions for artists to experiment, collaborate and reach new audiences in Blackpool and beyond.
The National Lottery Heritage Fund - About
The National Lottery Heritage Fund is the largest funder for the UK’s heritage. Using money raised by National Lottery players we support projects that connect people and communities to heritage. Our vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. From historic buildings, our industrial legacy and the natural environment, to collections, traditions, stories and more. Heritage can be anything from the past that people value and want to pass on to future generations. We believe in the power of heritage to ignite the imagination, offer joy and inspiration, and to build pride in place and connection to the past.